Carl Frampton has been chosen as the standard-bearer for boxing’s return to major terrestrial television networks.

Thirty years ago, Frampton’s promoter Barry McGuigan attracted a record 19million viewers on Saturday night prime time in the UK when he won the world featherweight crown in 1985.

Now ITV, whose last dabble in world title fights was super middleweight Carl Froch beating Jean Pascal seven years ago, are climbing back into the ring.

In a promotion headlined The World Is Not Enough, Frampton’s first defence of his IBF super-bantamweight title will go head-to-head with Match of the Day with the first bell around 11pm.

In an audacious move, ITV director of sport Niall Sloane has signed a one-fight deal with McGuigan for Frampton’s battle with American Chris Avalos at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena on February 28.

And if Frampton is a hit, Sloane hinted there will be more bells of the brawl on the network where Steve Collins, Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn and Michael Watson were ratings winners in the golden age of middleweights.

Sloane said: “Carl is a very exciting boxer and we regard this as a major opportunity for him to showcase his talent on terrestrial TV.”

To recall McGuigan’s crowning glory at Loftus Road in 1985, we must now go back as far in time as Marty McFly in his DeLorean time machine in Back To The Future.

McGuigan was a phenomenon who united both sides of the sectarian divide - and that night he dethroned Eusebio Pedroza in Shepherds Bush was part of a holy trinity for Ulster sport.

In the space of six weeks, McGuigan was crowned world champion, Norman Whiteside scored Manchester United’s extra-time winner in the FA Cup final and Dennis Taylor won his epic world snooker final on the black ball against Steve Davis.

McGuigan believes Frampton - unbeaten in 19 contests - has the ability, and the personality, to become a powerful force for unity like himself.

And he believes Frampton, already the people’s champion in his hometown Belfast, will be a household name further afield if rules again in the Jackal’s Den next month,

McGuigan said: “Carl is different to me in the sense that I was a one-dimensional fighter - all-out, aggressive and always taking the fight to my opponent.

“This kid’s technical range is already better than mine ever was because he can be much more circumspect and he doesn’t mind the other guy taking him on.

“But Carl is the real deal - he has fast hands, great feet and his awareness of space around the ring is phenomenal. He can win fights any way that he wants.

“Having more than one way to box is great for a fighter’s longevity but more importantly it makes him marketable on both sides of the Atlantic.

“We’re taking nothing for granted because Avalos is a spiky character who will take some beating but this kid has already set the world alight in Belfast. Now he’s going to be a household name across the British mainland and in America.

“Armchair fans are going to love Frampton because they won’t have to go looking for him on their remote control consoles. From the moment they tune in, the noise will be incredible.”